CITROËN DS3 HATCHBACK READER REVIEWS

My car

I drove this car for two weeks as a courtesy car whilst our Alfa Mito was having crash damage repairs ( hit by lorry while parked). I really wanted to like this car as it's quirky and looks fun. Unfortunately, too many things let it down, and I've never felt so relieved as when I finally got back behind the wheel of the Alfa. The styling of the DS3 is radical, but it's just trying a bit too hard in my view. However, the worst aspect of the car is the drive. The gear-lever travel is getting on for 18", with a noticeable clunk as you go past neutral. It's way too agricultural and rules out positive gear changes. The low speed ride is very comfortable, but at motorway speeds it's jiggly and unsettled, and the cornering is awful. It understeers with a vengeance like fwd cars of 20 years ago, and it feels like the suspension is made of blancmange or the wheels are linked by rubber struts- deeply disturbing. Smooth progress in town is difficult- the accelerator is feather-light and the clutch is light and long-travel so balancing starts is difficult and doesn't get much easier with practice. Also, although the throttle response is quick, it's not backed up by any oomph on this model, so a jerky start is inevitably followed by insipid acceleration. If you're going to buy one I'd say go for the higher-powered THP models with sports suspension, although the gearbox issue is still likely to preclude sporty driving.

My car

I had this car for a week as a rental car. I was impressed by the power, especially the low range torque around town. It doesn't feel you are driving a 1.6! The one I had was bright yellow with black alloys and roof....what a head turner!

Being a sporty set up, the suspension doesn't handle potholes too well, so don't expect a cushioned ride. The sport seats were comfortable and fuel economy wasn't too bad - around 35mpg. There is plenty of room in the front, but adults may find the back seats a bit of a squeeze.

This is a real contender for those choosing a Mini.

My car

We have just picked this car up for a second car (for my wife), and we were swaying between the DS3 and the Mini. The DS3 won for the following reasons:

Better Looking More Exclusive More Room inside More extras as standard

We have done just over 500 miles with it and it is certainly a town car, not a motorway car as this version needs a 6th gear as the engine is very noticable when going at 70 mph, ewven worse the higher speed you do (on the autobahn of course !) It is very holds the road very well on tight and twisty roads and certainly looks a lot better than the Mini (We have the Sport Red with White Roof), but obviously everyone has different opinions regarding looks.

I am not hugely impressed with the pick up of the 1.6, but as I have driven a Turbo Diesel for the last 5 years, that might just be all it is.

We paid extra for the bluetooth pack, with the USB, which is a godsend for the iPhone, and the Alacantra Seats with the 17" alloys, just for the looks rather than the performance. As you can see I/we are very fickle !!

I would recommend it as a choice of supermini, it should hold it's value (according to What Car) so that was another reason to choose this over a Fiesta/Corsa etc.